Good Pitch2 Australia's six new documentaries for 2016

Good Pitch Australia's event at the Sydney Opera House on Nov 8th 2016 presented six new feature documentaries to donors and philanthropists to raise over $6.6 million to fund production and outreach to raise awareness of social issues.

To date, 13 films have benefited from this highly successful independent philanthropic funding model and now these further 6 films will join the line-up.

The 2016 films selected are all early stage in production and are being made under the following working titles:

DYING TO LIVEZaidee Turner died at 7, an organ and tissue donor she saved 7 lives, and inspired her father, Allan, to embark on a quest. Why is Australia behind the rest of the developed world in organ donation? Allan’s quest opens a long overdue debate in which we are forced to consider our capacity for physical philanthropy. While lobbying for change from Opt In to Opt Out, Allan realises that creating attitudinal, cultural and bureaucratic change starts within.

Director: Richard ToddProducer: Ben McNeill

GHOSTHUNTERJason is a 40 year-old security guard from western Sydney. In his spare time he is a ghosthunter.A survivor of childhood violence, Jason’s early memories of his broken family are fragmented. Convinced his absent father is the key to his past, Jason embarks on a search for the father he hasn’t seen in 33 years.In his determination to uncover the truth, Jason becomes entangled in a web of police investigations, family denial, recriminations and court proceedings. Ghosthunter is an emotional, peculiar and darkly humorous journey through haunted lives –with a real life monster to defy in the closing stages.

Director: Ben LawrenceProducer: Rebecca Bennett

GUILTY (Death Penalty / Human Rights / Visual Arts): A portrait in two parts of convicted drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran executed by firing squad in Indonesia, April 2015. Filmmaker Matthew Bate explores Australia’s divisive public opinion of this event, and artist Matthew Sleeth draws on personal experience to create an intimate, dramatised account. In his last days, amidst preparations for the executions, Myuran became the artist he was born to be.

BEAUTIFUL MINDSBeautiful Minds charts the story of 78 female scientists as they embark on an epic journey to Antarctica. Fuelled by a growing mistrust of global leaders, the women want to change the startling prevalence of gender inequality in science. Following cutting edge leadership coaching, the scientists return home determined to up-end the leadership status quo and along the way reveal what’s possible when we get the gender balance right.

Director: Ili BaréProducer: Greer Simpkin

KIDS (Early Intervention & Education / Indigenous Governance): Through the eyes of children living in the Northern Territory, KIDS is an observational documentary that examines the ways, often under extreme circumstances, indigenous families are striving to pass on cultural knowledge. It offers a chance to view education, learning and success, in a new light.

2040From the team who brought you That Sugar Film, a science-fiction feature documentary set in 2040, looking back at the watershed moments between 2019 and 2040 that contributed to humanity turning a corner for the better. The film judiciously maps the actions required across economics, climate, politics and design. This film is the ‘vision board’ we need now to articulate the future we could be working towards.

Director: Damon GameauProducers: Nick Batzias, Anna Kaplan

Since the inaugural event in 2014, Good Pitch Australia has raised over $7.5 million in philanthropic funding. This funding has contributed to both production and outreach funding, and has entirely financed the development and implementation of social impact campaigns, targeting a diversity of issues central to society—now and into the future.

Ian Darling, Chair and Moderator of Good Pitch Australia: “Good Pitch Australia represents high impact philanthropy at its best, with all of the key elements of collaboration, scale, partnership, and leverage - using the power of documentary to bring a community together for social change.”

Malinda Wink, Executive Director of Good Pitch Australia: “We are working with policy-makers, NGOs, advocates, corporates, philanthropy and media, building exciting new collaborations to design and deliver the impact campaigns for each of the films. The impact and success of THAT SUGAR FILM, GAYBY BABY, PRISON SONGS, THE HUNTING GROUND and FRACKMAN are testament to how powerful these collaborations can be.”

Mitzi Goldman, CEO of Documentary Australia Foundation: “The filmmakers have been free to independently explore hard-hitting social issues with stories that are critically, commercially and socially embraced. It is exciting and deeply rewarding to see so many of the Good Pitch Australia films selected by major international and Australian film festivals, including the recent Sydney Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival.”

Good Pitch Australia is hosted by Ian Darling’s Shark Island Institute in partnership with Documentary Australia Foundation. Good Pitch is a BRITDOC project in partnership with Ford Foundation and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, and is held in various major cities around the world. Philanthropy Australia and Pro Bono Australia are Community Partners of Good Pitch Australia.